Digger pine, Gray pine
Pinus sabiniana

Family: Pinaceae

What it is like

A medium sized tree. It grows 21 m high and spreads 6 m wide. The crown is irregular in shape. The trunk is often forked. The trunk is often free of branches for considerable height. The leaves are grey-green and are drooping. They can be 17-32 cm long. The cones are large up to 15-25 cm long. They can remain on the tree for 7 years after the nuts have fallen. The cones have heavy spikes. The seeds are edible. The seeds are 2 cm long.

There are over 100 species of Pinus.

Where it is found

It is a temperate plant. It is drought tolerant. It can grow in cold climates down to -7°C. It does best with hot dry summers. It suits hardiness zones 7-11. Hobart Botanical gardens.

Countries/locations it is found in

Asia, Australia, Britain, Europe, India, North America, Tasmania, USA

How it is used for food

The seeds are eaten raw or roasted. It can be ground into meal. The soft centre of the green cones is roasted and eaten. The leaves are used for tea.

Edible parts

Seeds, nuts, cones, leaves - tea

How it is grown

Plants can be grown by seeds.

It is fairly fast growing and fairly short lived.

Its other names

Local names

Synonyms

Pinus sabiniana var. explicata Jeps.;